I asked this question a while back after hearing rumors that they were no longer being made.

I was told that there were more incoming.


Now I am asking again, after reading this.


www.akfiles.com/forums/showthread.php?t=43411

sounds reasonable that they are not produced anymore. should have bought one when AIm had them with 2 mags for $289 a year ago

Check pawn shops or Gunbroker, they are out there but a little higher premium than originally sold, it was a good run, I should have bought 4 at the price (originally $300)

FUCK!


So they are not just behind on production, they have stopped it?



Fucking Romanians...where there is money to be made they don't want to make it.

Quoted: FUCK! So they are not just behind on production, they have stopped it? Fucking Romanians...where there is money to be made they don't want to make it.

Romania wants to join NATO and the European Union, so they can use the Euro which will bost their economy.  They haven't been allowed to do so because selling AKs all over the world violates anti-weapons-proliferation bullshit that the EU has in place.  For years this has been the case, but they needed the money from selling AKs so desperately that they were willing to give up the EU membership in order to keep the Cugir factories running, just so their industry wouldn't totally shut down.  It was an ugly situation, but its what they had to do.

Then, earlier this year (if I recall correctly) a Euro car manufacturer approached the AK factories with a fantastic offer-- they could switch over and make car parts instead of AKs, and they would all keep their jobs and current pay rates.  This would remove Romania from the "naughty weapons-proliferator" list and pave the way for the country to join the EU, and, later on, NATO.  The Romanians accepted and the AK production lines shut down.  They are now making car parts like alternators, frame bits, etc.  Its great for the Romanians and the economic future of their country, and bad for American gun collectors who want a cheap beater AK built with Romanian peasant labor.

This has all been discussed here on arfcom before.  Its well known that the era of the $300 Romanian AK is now at an end.  In another two years AKs will cost as much as AR15s through simple supply and demand, assuming of course that an Obama presidency doesn't make things much, much worse than that.  In addition, the removal of these bargain-priced firearms may cause prices to rise with other firearms, since the traditional cheaper alternative is no longer present.

Look at it this way, how many times have you heard someone say, "Why would I pay $900 for an AR15 when I could buy 3 AKs for that much?"  The price of the cheap AKs meant that other guns needed to be priced low enough that they would still attract buyers.  But when the cheap alternative is gone and AK prices rise, first to the $500-$600 level where they are now, and in another year to the $700-$800 level, what will happen to the price of other, similar long guns?  Its simple economics, really.  

Quoted: Quoted: FUCK! So they are not just behind on production, they have stopped it? Fucking Romanians...where there is money to be made they don't want to make it. Romania wants to join NATO and the European Union, so they can use the Euro which will bost their economy.  They haven't been allowed to do so because selling AKs all over the world violates anti-weapons-proliferation bullshit that the EU has in place.  For years this has been the case, but they needed the money from selling AKs so desperately that they were willing to give up the EU membership in order to keep the Cugir factories running, just so their industry wouldn't totally shut down.  It was an ugly situation, but its what they had to do. Then, earlier this year (if I recall correctly) a Euro car manufacturer approached the AK factories with a fantastic offer-- they could switch over and make car parts instead of AKs, and they would all keep their jobs and current pay rates.  This would remove Romania from the "naughty weapons-proliferator" list and pave the way for the country to join the EU, and, later on, NATO.  The Romanians accepted and the AK production lines shut down.  They are now making car parts like alternators, frame bits, etc.  Its great for the Romanians and the economic future of their country, and bad for American gun collectors who want a cheap beater AK built with Romanian peasant labor.

That story is known B.S. Romania has been a member of NATO since 2003. Romania continues to make AKs and Century continues to import them. Because this is an election year, and because guns are selling like hotcakes, they cannot keep up with demand. It is as simple as that.

Ok then, well hopefully you are right and the story has been debunked.  Just passing along what I'd heard in earlier threads.

I hope they continue to be available and the price stays steady.  Even with their known issues the WASR is a hell of a bargain, in my eyes.

Do you have a Dunham's Sporting Goods near you? I got my single stack WASR-2 awhile back for $318 out the door. It does not look like it did when i first bought it. I was having trouble with the single stack mags not feeding correctly. After talking to my gunsmith he recommended opening it up to accept double stack mags. So then i had to play the parts game. I installed a Tapco G2 trigger assembly, & K-VAR nato length plum set myself. My gunsmith installed a Tapco piston, & threaded the barrel & installed a US made AK74 style brake. I love the gun it has no feeding problems now. It is not as nice as my ORF Bulgy AK74, but it goes bang every time & is pretty accurate what more can you ask for.

They are part of the EU also..... news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6220591.stm

Arsenal rifles are made in Bulgaria and are still imported.


Can't be an an EU thing.

I didn't know all that, but this is one of those times when I'm damn glad to be wrong.


So, uh... where are all the damn WASR-2s?  LOL

Century has them listed as "coming soon" for $300.

Quoted: Century has them listed as "coming soon" for $300.

Boy howdy, I sure hope they are that cheap.

Quoted: sounds reasonable that they are not produced anymore. should have bought one when AIm had them with 2 mags for $289 a year ago

Understatement of the year. I missed the fuckin' boat on that one. Paying $289 for anything high capacity these days is absolutely outstanding. Kicking myself.

Quoted: Arsenal rifles are made in Bulgaria and are still imported. Can't be an an EU thing.

The new Arsenal Bulgies are being assembled right here in the USA at the "Arsenal" plant near Las Vegas!

At the moment, it is the closest we have to a "fully USA-made" AK.

http://www.arsenalinc.com/history.htm

I've handled one at a dealer; very nice - but not 3xWASR $$ nice.